Missing
by BloodyXxXFangs
Summary: Sokka/OC Sokka gets taken prisoner by the Fire Lord, and finds an alliance with someone he never thought he would. Will she help him escape? And when the time comes, will she escape with him? Rated M for later chapters. Read and Review please!
1. Prisoner and New Arrangements

Okay, so hi. This is one of my first stories on here. I've had some before, but I deleted them and made a new name. Soooo... This is a Sokka/OC story. It doesn't particularly follow any of the books. It's just set in random time, when Sokka is abour 17. Don't like it, then don't read. But I think everyone will enjoy it. Please comment, if you have any ideas for following chapters, or just say what you think of it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except Kira, since she's my OC.

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Chapter One: Prisoner and New Arrangements

Kira sighed softly and shifted lazily in the large throne where she sat at the right hand of her father. To her, sitting there for hours became boring, but her father had requested that she stay close to him while the Fire Nation soldiers yet again attempted to capture the Avatar. The soldiers were, at this very moment, probably battling with the Avatar and his friends in order to capture him. Kira found this to be a fairly pointless battle, but she dared not express her feelings to anyone. A princess was to be seen, not heard, her father had constantly reminded her.

A loud knock on the door pulled Kira out of her thoughts and forced her to return to reality. She brushed the strands of her waist length auburn hair out of her face and behind her ears, having nothing else to do. "Enter!" Ozai called harshly, hoping that it was one of his soldiers coming to give him good news. The door opened and a man dressed in the traditional uniforms worn only by the most highly ranked Fire Nation soldiers quickly walked in, dragging a boy that looked to be around the same age as Kira in his wake.

The boy, Kira recognized as one of the Avatar's close friends, winced uncomfortably as the soldier pulled roughly on the tight rope binding his hands together in order to make him move faster. Kira let her golden eyes examine the boy more closely. He was well built, the large rip in the front of his white tunic making that apparent. His hair was cut in a way a warrior would wear it, and fell loosely over his ocean blue eyes. There was a long horizontal scratch on one of his cheeks that Kira guessed he earned during the struggle. Along the boy's bare arms were small scratches and bruises, but they didn't look painful.

"What is this? I gave you orders to bring me the Avatar, not some Water Tribe peasant." Ozai spat irritably at the soldier as he forced the boy onto his knees in front of Ozai's throne. The soldier bowed respectfully and removed his helmet. Kira cringed slightly when she saw that the soldier was Admiral Zhao of her father's army. Zhao had tried many times to obtain Kira's hand in marriage, but Ozai wouldn't allow it.

"I apologize, My Lord. We tried, but the Avatar escaped. We did, however, manage to capture the peasant. He may be able to provide information about where the Avatar is headed." Zhao offered, seeing the furious look oh his lord's face. Ozai considered this for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. Zhao was correct. Perhaps the peasant would tell him where the Avatar was, or if not, perhaps the Avatar would come to the boy's rescue.

"I won't tell you anything!" The boy shouted, bringing Ozai out of his thoughts. He frowned slightly, looking down at the boy. This could prove to be harder than he thought. "I don't care what you do to me! I refuse to give you any information that will lead you to Aang and my sister!"

"Search him." Ozai commanded to Zhao, who still held tightly onto the boy's shoulder. Zhao nodded and roughly grabbed onto the boy's neck, harshly pulling him to his feet. He quickly, but thoroughly searched the boy, finding only a steel boomerang in one of his pockets. Azula rolled her eyes at the, in her opinion, pathetically useless weapon and snorted. When Zhao found nothing else to be considered a weapon, he pushed the boy down onto his knees again, throwing the boomerang carelessly off to the side.

"What's your name, boy?" Ozai asked, sneering down at the boy in front of him. The boy thought about the question for a moment, trying to decide if he should answer or not. Perhaps it would be better if they didn't know his name, but if he refused, they would probably beat him for his disobedience.

"Sokka.." He said slowly after a minute. At this point, Sokka noticed Kira sitting at Lord Ozai's right. She didn't seem to be there willingly, Sokka noted. He also noted that she seemed different from when he was normally battling her alongside Katara or Aang. She almost seemed a bit sad to be there. Sokka watched her move her long silky hair out of her face as it fell over her eyes.

"Well, Sokka, my soldiers and I have been chasing you for a while now and my patience is already growing quite thin since all my soldiers were able to capture is a pathetic water peasant. I suggest that you tell me where the Avatar is heading, or there will be Hell to pay." Ozai said impatiently. Sokka stared at Ozai with a blank, emotionless expression plastered on his face. That had been the first time Kira had ever seen someone openly refuse her father. She actually had to give Sokka credit. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but he did with the utmost defiance. However, Ozai didn't find this little act of rebellion to be quite as amusing as Kira. He sneered and stood up, towering over Sokka who still stayed completely still and emotionless.

Kira forced herself to look away as her father harshly kicked Sokka in the stomach. Sokka cried out in pain and clutched his stomach, doubling over. Ozai smirked in satisfaction and returned to his seat. Azula leaned forward, now very fascinated in what was happening. She looked at her younger sister, expecting her to be just as interested in this as she was, but frowned slightly when she saw Kira with her head turned away and her eyes closed. Azula rolled her eyes. Kira had always been weak when it came to punishing someone for disobedience.

"My Lord, perhaps we should let the peasant rest until tomorrow. You know, give him some time to realize that he's going to rot here if he doesn't give us the information we seek." Zhao suggested, stepping forward. Ozai considered this, then nodded.

"I suppose you're right. Anyway, I grow bored. Commander Zhao, see this filth to the dungeons." Ozai instructed, waving his hand to dismiss them. Zhao nodded and pulled Sokka to his feet, while glancing up at Kira and grinning slightly. Kira's first reaction was to throw a fireball at Zhao, but she knew her father wouldn't approve of that, so she simply smiled and bowed her head a little to show honour. Zhao then turned to Sokka and harshly pushed him out of the room. Ozai sighed softly and turned to his oldest daughter. "Azula, sweetheart, why don't you go brief the guards on the situation at hand while I speak to your sister alone?"

Kira's head lifted slightly and her eyebrow raised in curiosity. She watched anxiously as Azula rose from her throne and respectfully bowed to her father, before she slowly retreated, not happy that her father and Lord requested privacy with such a weak warrior. However, Azula didn't dare disobey her father. She would just have to trick Kira into telling her what they talked about later.

"Now, my daughter.." Ozai started officially, turning in his throne slightly and motioning for Kira to do the same. Kira did as requested and remained silent, waiting patiently for her father to continue. After a moment of silence, Ozai reached into the pocket of his blood-red robes and pulled out a black, velvet box with gold designs on the top. Kira looked down at it, interested, but held her tongue against the urge to speak out of turn. "As you may have realized, upon your next birthday, you will become of marrying age. I have put it upon myself to find you a suitor, and I recently made my decision. Which is why I must ask you to wear this when I revea him to you next week."

"Father, this is.." Kira tried desperately, but couldn't seem to find the words to express her feelings. She was honored to be the first of her siblings to be given such a responsibility, but the thought of an arranged marriage scared her. Although, she couldn't very well refuse to her father's wishes. A smile spread across Kira's lips and she took the box from her father's hand, opening it slowly. Her breath was caught in her throat for a moment as she looked upon a silky black ribbon choker with a round, silver medallion hanging from the middle. On the medallion was the Fire Nation symbol carved on the front and a heart carved on the back. Kira picked it up carefully and held it in the palm of her hand. She had never seen something so beautiful.

"He sent it over yesterday. Requested me to present it to you when I told you." Ozai said as he took the necklace from Kira's hand and stood up, walking behind her throne. He held it in front of her neck and Kira hesitantly gathered her hair into her hands while her father tied the necklace at the back of her neck. She let her hair fall freely when she felt her father's hands release the necklace and gently touched the front of her neck. It felt strange. Not the necklace, per say, but what the necklace represented. "There is to a ball on Saturday next, where all the Fire Nation is to attend, and we will present this to your kingdom. Now, you may go. I have a lot of planning to do for this ball."

"Yes, Father." Kira said, still slightly distracted about what was going on. She stood, adjusting the gold ringlet that rested on the top of her head. Kira bowed in respects to her father and slowly walked out of the room, her head held high.

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Right. So tell me what you thought, and if you think I should do anything different in my next chapters.


	2. Visiting the Prisoner

Chapter Two: Visiting the Prisoner

Her deep thoughts kept her from noticing the guard that was walking towards her. She stopped, however, when he lowered himself onto one knee and bowed his head deeply for a moment. Kira stopped walking when she was right in front of him and bowed her head briefly. He lifted his head and removed his helmet, waiting for permission to speak. Kira rolled her eyes when he remained silent and waved her hand to let him know that it was okay to speak. She was beginning to get annoyed by this.

"Your Highness, we have secured the prisoner, but he demands food. Lord Ozai didn't specify if we were to keep him unfed or if we were to allow him food. What are your orders?" The soldier asked, a small hint of fear in his voice as he spoke. It was a fact that most of the soldiers in the palace feared Kira for the very reason of who she was. Kira sighed and flourished her hand in dismissal.

"That's quite alright. I'll tend to it. Perhaps I'll be able to get information in the process." Kira explained, her voice a bit distant. The guard looked at her skeptically and opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he realized that he might get in trouble for speaking. Kira sighed in frustration. "Yes?" She spat, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Forgive me, Princess, it's just that it would be horrible if anything were to happen to you. Perhaps you would like a guard to escort you to the dungeons?" The guard offered meekly, nearly cowering under Kira's intense glare. She hadn't time for this. Kira was a princess, yes, and the youngest daughter of the Fire Lord, but that didn't mean that she was completely defenseless. Kira pushed past the guard and continued walking down the long hallways, this time heading towards a new destination. She turned the corner and walked through a large door, coming into the main kitchen. Kira sighed and ignored the questioning looks that she received from the chefs and went over to the refrigerator.

After a moment of searching, Kira piled a few items onto a tray and got a stone bowl, filling it with warm water. She sighed, placing everything carefully onto the tray and carrying the tray out of the kitchen. Kira struggled a little to keep the bowl of water from splashing everywhere, but was otherwise fine. In a matter of minutes, Kira stopped when she came to a slightly damaged door, using her back to push it open, being extra careful not to spill the bowl of water.

A sharp chill shot down Kira's spine and small goose bumps made there way down Kira's arms and the back of her neck as her soft footsteps echoed in the hollow dungeons. The dungeons was always the only place in the palace that had ever given her the chills. The fact that so many of her father's prisoners had died in here seriously made her want to cry. She loved her father dearly, but she knew the things he did were horrible. Kira resisted the strong urge to close her eyes and tried to concentrate on what she was here to do. Her eyes scanned the empty cells until she saw the warrior boy, Sokka, sitting against the wall of the cell at the end of the row.

Kira quickly scanned Sokka's still form and her eyes saddened slightly upon the sight. Sokka's head was leaned back against the stone wall with his eyes lightly closed. The cut on his cheek that he had obtained from Zhao was still bleeding, but the bleeding had slowed. His clothes, shirt especially, were ripped and tattered, with blood coating his sleeves and the bottom of his shirt. Kira guessed that he tried to clean up some of the blood with his shirt. One of Sokka's legs was flat against the ground and his other leg was bent up against his chest with his arms folded in front of him and resting on his knee.

"Um.. Excuse me?" Kira said softly, nearly afraid to disturb him. As bad as she felt for this boy, he was still enemy to her father, which meant that he was a potential threat to her. But Kira figured that if she was nice to him, he would return the favour. Sokka jumped slightly at the sudden noise and opened his eyes slowly, his head turning only slightly to glare at Kira. However, when he saw who it was, his eyes softened a little and he closed his eyes again, returning to his original position.

"Yes?" Sokka asked hoarsely, his muscles flinching a little as pain shot through his torso when he tried to shift. Kira stepped closer to the bars of the cell and set the tray down. She cleared her throat and knelt down beside the tray, sitting back on her feet.

"I brought you fresh clothes for you to change into later." Kira said as she motioned for Sokka to come closer. Sokka hesitantly obeyed, with a little difficulty caused by the pain in his stomach. Also on the tray was a small white cloth, bandages, and, much to Sokka's delight, food. "I also thought you might be hungry." Kira added with a smirk when she saw Sokka eying the food. He nodded and settled himself Indian-style in front of the bars, but looking at Kira carefully.

"Why are you doing all this for me? I mean, I'm just a peasant, right?" Sokka said, his voice becoming a bit cold. He was starting to wonder if he could trust Kira. Sure, she seemed nice, but what if it was just a trick to get information? He couldn't risk it unless her was completely sure he could trust the young princess. Kira shrugged and sat down on the other side of the tray.

"You can't survive without food, can you?" Kira looked up at Sokka and saw the look of distrust in his eyes. "I don't want information about the Avatar, if that's what you're thinking. I, unlike my father and my sister, don't wish for this war to continue. And if you don't believe me, that's your problem, but I'm telling the truth." She added coldly, removing the bowl of water from the tray and placing it closer to her. Sokka sighed and held one of his wrists outside the bars as Kira instructed him to.

"I'm sorry, okay? But you can't blame me for being cautious." Sokka said as Kira picked up the cloth and dipped the corner of it into the water. She gently took Sokka's hand and carefully dabbed the wound with the wet part of the cloth. Sokka winced slightly and bit his lip.

"No, I suppose I can't, but how am I to know if I can trust you? I mean, killing me would make it much easier for you to escape, since everyone else is in bed." Kira said, looking at Sokka skeptically. Sokka actually had thought about that, but he would never do it. He couldn't kill another human being unless it was out of defense.

"Don't you think if I was going to try and escape that I would've done it already?" Sokka asked, watching as Kira wrapped his wrists in gauze. She snorted softly and moved to clean Sokka's other wrist. She had to admit that he was very clever. Kira finished wrapping Sokka's wrist in gauze and then sighed. She put her hand through the bars and place it underneath Sokka's chin, moving it to the side so she could clean his would easier.

"Okay, this might hurt a bit." Kira warned as he brought the cloth up to Sokka's cheek and dabbed it lightly. Sokka winced and instinctively pulled away. Kira sighed in frustration and held onto the back of Sokka's neck to hold him in place with one hand and continued to clean his cheek with the other hand. "Men are such babies." She muttered to herself.

Sokka huffed irritably and crossed his arms over his chest. When Kira was done cleaning the wound, she place two small pieces of medical tape vertically over it to keep it from opening. "Alright, now about that bruise.." Kira pointed to the bruise that was forming on Sokka's stomach where Ozai had kicked him. "There isn't much I can do for it since it's a bruise. But this cream will help speed up the healing process and stop it from hurting as much." She said as she picked up a small cup filled with a dark brown substance and handed it to Sokka.

"Thanks." He said, taking the cup and looking down at it. His face scrunched up in disgust slightly, and he set it down beside him. Sokka took this opportunity to look at Kira a bit more carefully than he had before as she gathered the spare scarps of gauze and cloth off the floor around her. It was true that Kira was a very beautiful girl; Her golden eyes shimmering like the purest gold in the dim light that peaked through the window, her silken black tresses that covered her forehead and framed the soft milky skin of her face and neck. Sokka wondered for a brief moment what it would be like to touch that skin, to run a hand through that hair. It reminded him somewhat of Yue, although he wasn't sure why. He lowered his head slightly, ashamed of his thoughts. Kira was a Fire princess; Yue was an Ice queen. There was no possible way they were alike. A loud bang startled them both, and Kira looked towards the dungeon door where a few guards were dragging in another beaten prisoner.

"I'm sorry, but I must go. I don't know when I'll be able to return, so this might be goodbye." Without a response, Kira rose and walked swiftly out of the dungeon, leaving Sokka alone with his thoughts. He couldn't understand why the princess was treating him so nicely. Or why he didn't want her to leave. He sighed silently and returned to his previous position against the wall, soon drifting off to a restless sleep.

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Okay, so there's chapter 2. Comments make me happy!


	3. Meeting the Fiance

Chapter Three: Meeting the Fiance

A week passed uneventfully as the day of the Ball grew closer. Kira had growing doubts with each passing moment and all she could do with her opinions was sit outside by the small pond behind her house and watch the fish swim carelessly in circles or patterns. Kira sighed slowly and dipped the tips of her fingers into the water, giggling softly as one of the fish swam over to her hand and brushed its tail against it. "Well, hello to you too." She said to the fish as it continued to swim around her hand. "It must be nice, just swimming in the water all day, not worrying about anything."

"You always were so in love with animals." A sudden deep voice made Kira freeze and remove her hand from the water. She knew who the voice belonged to, and she had been hoping not to run into him. She heard him chuckle when she remained still and take a few steps towards her. "It's such an attractive quality."

"Commander Zhao, I would like some time alone with my thoughts, if you don't mind." Kira's voice held no emotion, as it often did when she spoke to him. She knew that he wanted her, in more ways than one, and to be honest, that kind of scared her. Kira had always known Zhao to be a man who takes what he wants. Hopefully the fact that her father was the Fire Lord would save her from being another conquest obtained by Commander Zhao. Kira heard him chuckle again and take a few more steps towards her until he was standing right behind her. He took a strand of her hair into his hand and began twirling it around.

"My dear, we both know you don't want me to leave. Let me stay with you. Let me.. Be with you." Zhao said in a very lustful tone, causing the hairs on the back of Kira's neck to stand up. She closed her eyes for a minute, thinking of what to do. She didn't notice his hand on her bare shoulder.

"No, I do want you to leave, or I'll have to get my father involved." Kira smiled inwardly when she felt his hand fall from her shoulder, and she slowly stood up, idly dusting off her satin red dress. She pushed her hair back off her shoulders and fixed her golden ringlet. "Now.. If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to. I'll see you at dinner, Commander. Good day." She brushed past him, leaving him speechless and rejected.

Kira couldn't believe that man. He hadn't the right to put his hands on her, or present himself in such a manner. He was commander in her father's army, after all! Kira let out a huff of irritation and stormed back up to the palace, her arms crossed over her chest. Once she entered the main hallway, she stopped and leaned against the wall, giving herself a moment to collect her thoughts. This was no time to be worrying about that pig. It was nearly dinner time, and tonight was the night that she was finally going to meet her suitor. At the thought, Kira's stomach turned uncomfortable. So many thoughts were running through her head; Would she like him? Would he be a proper husband? And was she ready for this?

"Princess," A guard walking towards her pulled her back to reality, and she shook the questions out of her head. The guard lowered to one knee and bowed his head, then looked up at Kira. "Your father sent me to fetch you. He says it's time you begin getting ready for your dinner with your fiancé." He explained, never leaving a kneeling position. Kira nodded and waved her hand to dismiss the guard.

"Thank you. You may tell him that I am on my way to get ready now, and I'll see him shortly." Kira's voice was distracted, and she didn't wait for the guard to say anything before she walked away from him, going up to her bedroom. Her room was fairly big, with red walls. In the far left corner of the room was a king-sized four poster bed with black silk sheet and at least a dozen red pillows. Opposite the bed was a large mahogany wardrobe with gold handles. On the other side of the room was a gold vanity table various perfumes, hair clips, and make-up brushes.

Kira walked across her room and noticed that there was an outfit already laid out on her bed. She guessed that one of her servants set it out for her. When she got to the door next to the wardrobe, she pushed it opened to reveal a spotless bathroom. It was like any other bathroom; White tile reflecting light perfectly matched the white marble floor, a white porcelain toilet next to a matching sink, across from a tub that was placed next to a shower. The tub was filled with steaming water, and there were three servants standing by it; One boy and two girls. The boy looked familiar.

"Good evening, Princess." The boy said with a slight smirk. Kira looked him over more carefully, but it wasn't until she looked at his ocean blue eyes that she realized that it was Sokka. A small smirk of her own now formed on her previously tired face, and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"So my father has you working as a servant now, huh?" Kira offered tauntingly, moving behind the changing curtain to undress. "I always figured you to be useful for something." She laughed as she slipped out of her uncomfortable dress and slipped on a black silk robe.

"Very funny. But it's better than being held up in that dungeon." Sokka retorted as he watched Kira come out from behind the curtain in her new attire. The robe wasn't very long. It only came up to the middle of her thigh, and it fell open a little at the cleavage, making Sokka's cheeks turn a little pink. He cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away when he noticed her looking at him.

"I suppose it is." Yes, Kira had indeed been looking at him. The baggy, red cotton pants that hugged around his waist, and the black sleeveless vest with red around the hems made him look all the more muscular. And the way his hair fell loosely over his forehead made him even more attractive. Kira shook the thoughts that were forming out of her head and walked closer to the tub. The other two servants took blindfolds out of the pockets and tied them over their eyes. Sokka looked at them in confusion. Kira saw this and giggled. "Well you don't expect me to let you all see me without clothing on, do you?" She picked up a blindfold from the sink and tossed it to him.

"I guess that makes sense." Sokka caught it and tied it over his eyes. Kira made sure that he couldn't see, then she let the bathrobe fall off her shoulders and hit the ground in a puddle around her as she quickly gathered her hair in a messy bun. She stepped into the water and let out a sigh of relief as she slid down and leaned her back against the side of the tub. Kira tilted her head back and closed her eyes for a moment, then removed her hands from the water, snapping her fingers. At the same time, the two female servants each took one of Kira's hands and began giving her a manicure. Kira sighed peacefully again and opened one eye to look at Sokka.

"Your princess is hungry, servant." Oh yes… Kira was enjoying this. Sokka growled in frustration, clearly not liking that he couldn't see. Kira giggled at this.

"How would you like me to get you food when I can't see?" Sokka asked through gritted teeth, trying to keep calm. The princess annoyed him greatly. He wanted nothing more than to put her in her place. But there was something about her that intrigued him. So he kept calm.

"There are a bowl of grapes two steps to your left." Kira informed him, idly making little splashes with her toes. Sokka felt around blindly until he found and picked up the bowl of grapes that Kira had asked for. "Good boy. Now take one step to your right and then five forward." Sokka did as she instructed, and soon felt his hip brush against the edge of the tub. He sighed in frustration and held out the bowl of grapes.

"Here." Sokka said grumpily, holding out the bowl of grapes. Kira smirked and rolled her eyes.

"My hands are a little busy at the moment, getting massaged and all that. Feed them to me?" Kira batted her long eyelashes, even though Sokka couldn't see, and smiled sweetly. She heard a low growl from the back of Sokka's throat, and it almost made her want to see how far she could push him. Reluctantly, he held the bowl with one hand, while he slowly fed the grapes to Kira. She smiled in satisfaction as she ate, but soon became aware of the time. "You may all stop." All at once, the three servants stopped what they were doing and Kira pulled her hands back. She examined her freshly filed and cleaned nails and marveled how they looked like glass.

"So do we have to dress you as well, or can you do that all by yourself?" Sokka challenged, leaning against one of the walls. Kira glared at him as she stood up and took a white fluffy towel from one of the other servants. The helped her step out of the tub and she wrapped the towel around her slender form. Kira walked over to the Sokka and stood in front of his. She reached up and pulled the blindfold off of his face, surprising him.

"One more crack like that, and I'll show you what I can do all by myself. And trust me, it'll burn. See you around." With a final smirk and single finger trailing down Sokka's cheek, Kira turned and walked back into her room. She quickly dried her body and tossed the towel carelessly to the side. Her eyes looked over the dress for a moment and she sighed. It was a fairly simple dress; Red, strapless, formfitting. Kira slipped into it and adjusted it. It hugged her curves nightly, showing a small bit of cleavage, and coming to the middle of her thighs. To go along with the dress, there was a black shear hooded cape that dusted against the floor. Once dressed, Kira walked over to the vanity table and sat down on the stool. She pulled the hair clip from her hair and watched it fall around her shoulders.

Soon, Kira's hair was brushed, and sported a silver hair clip with a jeweled dragon on it keeping the her hair out of her face. She took one final look in the mirror and sighed, standing up. Kira hated being presented as a perfect doll. But that was a price being princess came with. There was a loud know on her door that caused her to turn around, and whoever it was didn't wait for permission to enter. The door opened and Commander Zhao leaned against the doorframe, grinning. "You look stunning, my dear."

"I don't believe I ever said you could enter." Kira glared at the man in her doorway. This man was really starting to annoy Kira. His persistency wasn't an admirable quality.

"My apologies, Your Highness. But your father sent me to escort you to dinner." Zhao held out his hand for Kira's, urging her to take it, but she just looked at him.

"I don't need an escort, thank you very much." Kira waved her hand in dismissal, and walked out the door. She could feels Zhao's eyes follow her, and she could feel the familiar chills running down her spine. In a few minutes, she entered the dining room to be greeted by her father, her sister, two of her sisters friends, and someone that Kira didn't recognize. He had light brown hair that was tied back in a ponytail, dark, nearly black eyes, a hansom face, and a well-built body. He dressed in rich-looking clothes and he had an arrogant look to him. 'That must be my fiancé.' Kira thought as she idly lifted her hand to touch the necklace he sent for her.

"My Princess." He said, his voice deep and powerful. He stood up from his place at the table and walked around to stand in front of Kira. He looked her up and down for a moment, then took one of her hands and brought it to his mouth. "Your father told me how beautiful you were, but his words do you know justice." He said smoothly, smiling when he saw the blush on her face. "My name is Yen. And it is my honor to be graced by your presence."

"So charming. Show me to my seat?" Kira asked, giggling flirtatiously. She was actually impressed. Her eyes made contact with Sokka's as he poured more wine for her father, and he briefly mocked Yen's actions so only Kira could see. Kira could help but laugh, earning curious looks from most of the people in the room. "Uh… I was just thinking about how nervous I was to meet you. But that all seems so silly now." Kira said cleverly. Yen laughed as well and ushered Kira to her seat between her father and him.

Dinner went by slowly for Kira. Yen never stopped talking about himself, and barely paid attention to her, unless is was to steal a quick kiss, or put his hand on her knee under the table. Soon, after what seemed like forever, the Fire Lord raised his arms and chuckled. "An excellent feast. Now, I'll leave you all to mingle." And with that, Ozai stood and walked out of the room, accompanied by Zhao. Azula and her friends started talking secretly to each other, while the servants started cleaning up.

"How about we go back to your room and get to know each other a little better?" Yen smirked, lightly kissing Kira's lips. His hand, which was resting on her knee, started moving slowly up as the kiss deepened a little. Kira pulled away and stood up, not wanting that much physical contact so soon.

"You know, I'm a little tired. I think I'll just go to bed." Kira curtsied and bowed her head a little. Yen didn't look pleased, but he nodded and kissed the back of Kira's hand.

"Until tomorrow, my love." Yen kissed her one last time on the lips and retreated to another room. Kira looked around and noticed that Azula and her friends had left as well. In fact, now she was left alone in a dining room full of busy servants.

"Well, he looks like a keeper." Sokka mocked, coming up behind Kira. She sighed and turned around, looking at him.

"Don't you ever have anything nice to say?" She wasn't in the mood for this. Too many things were going through her head and all she wanted to do was scream and run. In her eyes, he could see that something was off, but he chose to ignore it.

"No, not really." Sokka said, a sly smile on his face. Kira hissed in annoyance and walked away from him, closing her eyes as she walked. It's been a long day.

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There you have it. Another chapter. Tell me what you thought.


	4. The Ball

Chapter Four: The Ball

Sleep didn't come easy to Kira the night before the Ball. She tossed and turned about all night, thinking of the previous dinner with Yen, and how he had acted. To her, it seemed that all he was doing was bragging to her father about his accomplishments. Was that all he was here for? Kira didn't know. But what she did know, was that this arrangement with Yen might be more complicated than she once believed. She let out a soft sigh and shifted in her bed, getting rather frustrated. It was just before dawn, according to the dim glow coming from the two French-style doors leading outside to a balcony. The Ball would begin in no more than six hours, at noon.

Finding it pointless to continue lying there idly, Kira pulled herself into a sitting position and stretched her arms over her head. After yawning the last bit of sleep from her tired body, she climbed off of her bed and wrapped a silk black bathrobe over her nightwear. She didn't know what she should do to pass the time from now until the Ball, so she decided to go lounge around the garden. Hopefully no one would disturb her there.

Once Kira reached the garden, she sat down on the wooden chair-swing that was centered in a bed of Fire Lilies with a perfect view of the lake; Her favorite spot in the castle. Kira laughed softly to no one in particular and reached down, picking a Fire Lily from its bed. She held it under her nose and sniffed the sweet smell, gently touching each pedal with her finger. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her head against the back of the swing, humming a soft, mellow tune as she played looked at the flower. Things made sense here. This was the one place where Kira could sit and think, and not worry about servants, and guards, and suitors, and her father. She could think freely without rules.

Soon, Kira drifted off to sleep, the flower still cupped in her hand. Her head lolled to the side and her eyelids twitched every so often when there was a sudden noise made by an animal or the wind. After what seemed like only a few minutes, Kira was jerked awake when she felt someone shaking her shoulder. She yawned and looked around in her still-sleepy daze and saw Sokka standing over her. For a moment, Kira could almost say she saw a look of concern on his face. But the thought was forgotten when she became aware of her surroundings.

"Yes?" Kira asked, wanting to know what he bother waking her up. She rubbed her eyes and yawned again, stretching. He shoulders and neck were stiff from sleeping, and she winced a little as she moved.

"Everyone's been looking all over for you. It's nearly time for the Ball." Sokka told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her up. Kira gasped and started to walk quickly towards the palace, her hand in Sokka's to pull him.

"I didn't mean to sleep that long. Oh, I haven't even picked out my dress yet!" Kira muttered to herself as they reached the palace, frantic. Sokka chuckled and stopped walking, holding onto Kira's arm to make her do the same. "What are you doing? I have so much to do!"

"Relax, princess." He said smoothly, saying her royal title with a little more emphasis. "I took the liberty of laying out an outfit for you, and getting all your things ready. And while you do your make-up, I can brush your hair." At this, Kira gave him a questioning look that made him blush slightly. "After my mother died and my father went to war, I had to take care of my sister. I suppose a few things stuck with me."

"But why? No one told you to do that, so there's no reason why you would want to." Kira was confused.

"Well, I figured it might get me some points for good behavior." Sokka winked and smirked at Kira, then laughing. He cleared his throat and became serious. "We can talk later. Right now, I have a Ball to get you ready for." They both shared a smile, then turned and ran up to Kira's room. Kira closed the door behind them and looked at Sokka.

"Would you mind turning around while I get into my dress?" Kira asked crossing her arms over her chest. She heard a soft, "Oh right," from him as he blushed and turned his back to face her. Kira walked over to her bed and slipped off the clothes that she was wearing. She took the dress and slid it on with a little difficulty. It wasn't meant to be the most comfortable dress. But it did look stunning. The torso was a strapless black corset with gold lace in crisscross patterns down the chest and stomach. The bottom of the dress was flowing black silk, sweeping along the floor in the front, and trailing about 2 feet in the back. In the back, where the corset and the skirt connected, there was a gold lace bow. "Alright, you can turn around now."

"So I take it I picked out a nice dress?" Sokka laughed as he turned around to look at her. His breath was caught in his throat. She looked beautiful. Sokka didn't realize he was staring, until she cleared her throat.

"No, I love this dress. I probably would've picked it myself." Kira said as she walked over to her vanity table and sat down. Sokka followed her and reached over her shoulder to grab her brush. As Kira began applying a light layer of powder to her skin, Sokka expertly trailed the brush through her soft hair. By the time she was done with her make-up, he had pulled half of her hair into a ponytail and complimented it with a simple gold hairclip.

"There. Perfect." Sokka muttered under his breath. Kira smiled at her reflection and played with a strand of her hair. She saw Sokka hold out his hand, mocking a bow. Kira laughed and took his hand as she stood up and twirled around gracefully. "Now, go out there and blow them away." He gave her a small wink and nudged her out the door. Kira looked back at him and smiled gratefully, then proceeded down the staircase to the dance hall.

"Ah, darling, there you are." Kira heard Yen's voice from behind her, and she turned around. He took her hand and kissed the back of it, looking over her carefully. "You look absolutely stunning." He complimented, holding her hands and stepping at arms' length. Kira smiled softly and looked at his appearance. He was wearing a very clean cut set of royal looking robes. No doubt bought for him by her father. She almost had to resist the urge to sigh.

"You look good, yourself. Shall we enter?" Yen nodded and offered Kira his arm, which she, in turn, took. He lead her through a group of guests, all of them greeting and complimenting the young princess. Yen walked her over to her throne and waited for her to sit before he sat himself in his own throne, at her right. To Kira's left, of course, was her father's throne. He looked over at her and nodded in acknowledgement. Kira smiled to her father and looked over to the room filled with their many guests. Kira guessed that almost everyone in the kingdom were there, all laughing and mingling. Her hand reached up and she began to distractedly play with her necklace. She could feel Yen reach over and take her hand, linking their fingers. Kira looked at him and smiled hesitantly.

The clinking of a glass got Kira's attention, and she saw her father rise from his seat to greet his guests. The hall became silent and everyone turned their attention to the Fire Lord. He cleared his throat and held his arms out. "Welcome, all, to my palace. As you know, my youngest daughter is about to become old enough for marriage. I've welcomed you all here to happily announce that she has found a fiancé, and is to be married shortly following her birthday." Ozai paused and there was an echo of applause throughout the hall. "Now I invite you all to dance and eat, and talk with the happy couple."

'Happy couple'? Kira snorted at the comment. They were far from what could be considered a couple, and as for being happy… Yen was the only one that could truly say that. It's not that Kira wasn't happy, per say. It was more that she was having doubts that she couldn't voice, as well as fears. The music started and the servants began to bring out the food and refreshments. Yen stood, urging Kira to do the same, and lead her out to the dance floor. A small spot cleared and they were in the middle, dancing slowly to the music. Yen put on hand on the small of Kira's back while he held her hand with one of his hands. She responded by placing her free hand on his shoulder.

As the time went on, Kira and Yen talked about everything. However, the more they talked, the more Kira found that they have practically nothing in common. She had morals and goals, while he had conquests and his goal was to marry a wealthy woman. The way Yen talked, it made Kira suspect that he was only interested in the power and fame. Yen began to let his hands wander along Kira's body. She politely excused herself and walked away from him, going to talk with her other guests.

The rest of the night was spent with Kira avoiding Yen and making light conversation with some of the happy guests. Soon enough, guests started to leave and Kira took this opportunity to quietly slip out of the hall and up to her room, where she was surprised to see Sokka sitting on her bed.

"What are you doing in here? You have no reason to be up here." Although, there was a hint of a playful smile on her face. Sokka leaned back on her bed and looked at her with a cocky look on his face.

"You looked like you had fun tonight." Sokka said, ignoring her question. Kira narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She walked over to Sokka and grabbed his arm, pulling him off of her bed. She laughed and pulled his arm out of her grip. "Whoa, easy, Princess. Didn't mean to get you mad."

"I'm tired, I want out of this dress, and I'm going to bed." Kira said as she pushed him out of her room. Sokka laughed and stood in the doorway, smirking. "Goodnight." Sokka barely had to time to back up to avoid getting hit by the door as Kira shut it quickly. Kira could hear Sokka muttering angrily outside her door, and she laughed as she walked back over to her bed. She sighed in relief. The day was finally over.

\/\/\/\/\/

This chapter wasn't that good, but I tried my best. Eh, I was tired when I wrote it.


	5. New Friendships at the Markeet

Chapter Fve: New Friendships at the Market

The next few weeks following the Ball went by without much action. Kira was displeased to find out that Yen had been recently initiated into the Fire Lord's army, but all he told her was that he was defending his Nation. Kira and Yen fought constantly, but it always ended in Yen apologizing to his soon-to-be-bride and buying her something expensive. This bothered Kira slightly that he thought he could buy her off, although she always forgave Yen.

The day was warm, only slightly warmer than usual, and Kira was once again seated on her favourite chair swing by the pond. However, much to Kira's dismay, her favourite Fire Lilies had stopped blooming and regular white lilies were planted in their place. She looked down at the replacement flowers and sighed softly. Kira supposed that regular lilies were just as nice, but she missed the bright red and pink combination that the Fire Lilies brought.

"You really like it out here, don't you?" Yen said as he walked up behind Kira and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Darling, you're freezing." He removed her robe and put it around her, then walked around to the front of the swing, sitting down next her. Kira pulled the robe off of her and smiled politely.

"Thank you, but I'm not cold." Kira spoke through gritted teeth. Ever since they met, Yen had been treating Kira like some fragile piece of glass. She wasn't as weak as she looked, and she had been taking care of herself most of her life. That wasn't about to change. Yen sighed and frustration and put the robe on her again.

"Wear it. I don't want you ill." He insisted with a little more force. Kira pushed his hand away and threw the robe on the ground.

"I said I wasn't cold." Kira stood up and walked away, groaning when she heard Yen stand up and follow her. "What do you want, Yen?"

"Where are you going?" Yen demanded when he finally caught up with her at the palace door. She ignored him and turned her head so that she wasn't looking at him. Yen growled and roughly grabbed Kira's upper arm, forcing her to stop. Kira let out a soft yelp of surprise, and then a whimper as pushed her against the nearest wall. "I asked you a question."

"I'm going to the market! Now, get off." Kira squirmed to pull her arm free, but Yen tightened his grip. She winced and closed her eyes.

"Ask nicely." Yen smirked evilly. Kira pushed him with her free arm in an attempt to get him off of her, earning her a slap across the face. Kira gasped as her head snapped to the side and her hand covered her red cheek. Yen had always yelled at her and even bruised her arms or wrists from holding to tightly, but he had never hit her. Yen smiled and leaned down, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Remember that next time." He said before he walked away.

Kira stared after him, completely shocked. She didn't know what to do, or what to say. She looked at her arm where Yen had grabbed her and saw that a hand-shaped bruise was forming. She sighed and pulled her sleeve back over her arm to hide it, then stood up and started walking. When she was nearly out of the palace, she saw a guard walking towards her. He stopped, as did she, and bowed his head.

"Tell my father I'll be at the market for the day." Kira instructed him as she kept walking. The guard cleared his throat and she stopped to look at him. "Is there a problem? I gave you an order."

"No problem, Princess. It's only that Master Yen has given us specific orders not to let you go wandering out of the palace alone. If you'd like, I can fetch you a servant to-"

"Excuse me, but I don't believe you were hired to take orders from anyone besides my father, my sister, or myself." Kira interrupted, narrowing his eyes at the guard, who bowed again.

"My apologies, Your Highness. But your father agreed. And if you fail to bring along a servant, I'm going to have to report this to him." The guard stood firm, his voice stern. Kira's hands glowed with fire and she sneered. "I am sorry, Princess."

"Very well. I'll find a servant on my own." Kira walked away angrily, muttering curses under her breath. If she had to bring someone with her, it might as well be someone she could stand. Kira searched the palace impatiently, until finally, her eyes caught sight of Sokka, stringing up freshly washed laundry. She smiled and walked over to him, poking him from behind. Sokka spun around and grinned down at Kira.

"What can I do for you, Princess?" He asked sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest. Kira giggled as he rolled his eyes, waiting for Kira to say something.

"How would you like to get out of the palace for awhile and go explore the town?" Kira blinked her eyes innocently and smiled brightly.

"What's the catch?" Sokka knew there was something more the situation. He wasn't completely stupid. Kira sighed.

"Because of my stupid fiancé, I can't leave the palace without someone going with me, and you're the only one in this place that I can actually tolerate being around." She explained, hoping Sokka wouldn't ask too many questions. After a moment of thinking, Sokka smiled and nodded.

"Why not? And it would be nice to see something other than this place." Sokka hung the last of the clothes and dried his hands on a rag. He held out his arm and Kira giggled, taking it. They walked out of the palace, arm in arm. Kira was the first to speak.

"So have you been taking care of yourself? I don't want my best servant unable to tend to my every need." She joked, laughing. Sokka looked at her and glared playfully. Then he laughed as well.

"I've gotten into a few fights with the other servants when it comes to who answers your sisters calls, but that's about it."

"Hmm… Maybe I'll have to take it upon myself to fix that problem." Kira commented as they reached the town. Kira pulled up the hood of her robe and pushed her hair inside the hood.

"What are you planning in that evil little head of yours?" Sokka asked, smirking. Kira laughed and squeezed Sokka's arm a little.

"Don't you worry about that. Just trust me." Kira said as she fixed her hood.

"What's with the hood. You can't tell me that you're cold."

"No. It's to hide. Unless you want people crowding around us just to get a glimpse of the princess." Kira rolled her eyes.

"I bet if they had to do all the chores for you like I do, they wouldn't be so happy to see you." Sokka joked, sticking his tongue out at Kira.

"Oh, you-!" Kira hit him playfully in the arm and laughed. He stuck his tongue out at her and ran, urging her to chase him. She did, running after him. They dodged the random people on the streets and Kira finally caught Sokka, poking his arm before she turned right and ran down another street. Sokka skidded to a halt and then began to run after her. She was fast, but Sokka was faster. He would catch her soon enough. Kira could feel Sokka getting closer to her, so she suddenly took a right turn, running down an alley way. Before Sokka could realize she went down the alley, he had already passed it. No matter. He would cut her off.

Kira looked over her shoulder and smiled in triumph to see that he wasn't following her. Kira looked forward just in time to see a very tall, built man that looked middle-aged step right in front of her. She collided with the man and fell onto her back. She winced as she pulled herself up, repeatedly apologizing. "I am so sorry, sir. I should've watched where I was going." Her cheeks turned red from embarrassment and she went to walk away. The man growled and grabbed Kira's wrist, pointing at the ground with his other hand.

"Look what you did, you stupid girl." Kira looked at where the man was pointing and saw the remains of a white and gold vase that she assumed she knocked out of his hands upon collision.

"I'm really sorry about that." Kira said again, getting a little nervous when the man's grip got tighter.

"You will pay for another vase for me." He demanded. Kira opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What's going on here?" Sokka asked, his eyes locked on the man that was holding Kira's wrist. He reached over and pushed the man's hand away, making him let go of Kira. Then Sokka pulled Kira to his side.

"This little brat broke my wife's vase." The man explained.

"There's no need to be rude, sir. I'm sure my sister didn't mean it." Sokka pushed the hair out of his face and took Kira's hand, squeezing it. Without warning, he ran past the man, pulling Kira behind him. At first, Kira was surprised, but then she laughed as she and Sokka wove through people. They could hear the man running behind them, and they had to get away somehow. Kira looked at Sokka for ideas, and he smirked, pulling Kira down a different street. They changed directions a few times, trying to lose the man. Sokka saw an secluded alleyway and pulled Kira into it. They pressed their backs against the wall, panting silently. Kira secretly peaked her head out just enough to see the man look around in confusion, and then eventually storm off in a huff.

"That was awesome!" Kira whispered excitedly, laughing. Sokka laughed as well and nodded in agreement.

"I never knew you'd be able to run that fast." He commented as his breathing became normal again.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Kira took his hand and found a quiet little tea shop not far from where they were. She walked in first, with Sokka closely behind here. They found an empty table in the very back of the shop and sat down. "So are you enjoying your day away from chores and rules?"

"This is the most fun day I've had since my capture." Sokka sighed happily. Kira giggled and raised her hand to call over a waitress. Her cape slipped off her arm and Sokka caught a glimpse of the bruise that Yen gave her earlier. He kept quiet about it while they placed their orders, but he knew he had to ask. "Where did that bruise on your arm come from?"

As soon as he asked, Kira's face fell. Her eyes shifted nervously. "Must've gotten it from that guy back there."

"Funny.. I didn't see him grab your upper arm." Sokka raised an eyebrow. Kira quickly pulled her robe over her arm and looked away.

"Just forget it." Before Sokka could ask more questions, the waitress brought over their tea and biscuits. Kira handed her a few gold pieces and smiled as she walked away. Sokka decided to let the situation go and ask her about it later. While they drank and ate, they talked casually. Sokka told Kira about the adventures that he and his friends had, and in turn, Kira told him stories from her life. They laughed over the small things and sympathized over the sad things.

Before they knew it, the owner of the shop came over to them and told them that it was time for them to close. Kira and Sokka walked out of the shop, arms linked, still laughing.

"Did you really stop Jet from flooding a Fire Nation city?" Kira asked, very impressed. Sokka smiled proudly.

"Well, I couldn't let him hurt innocent people just because they were from the Fire Nation. They aren't all bad, you know?" He looked at her and winked, making her laugh.

"We should probably get back to the palace." Kira looked around the nearly deserted streets. It had already gotten dark and Kira looked up at the clear sky. Sokka saw that Kira wasn't paying attention, so he smirked and scooped her up bridal-style. She squealed in surprise and put her arms around Sokka's neck as he spun her around. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I think I'm carrying you. I mean, you look so tired, Your Highness. It's my job to make the Princess as comfortable as possible." Sokka said sarcastically. He laughed and carried her out of the city. Once they got to the palace, Sokka set her down and Kira smiled. "Well, thank you for one of the best days of my time here."

"And thank you for treating me like an actual human being instead of just a princess." Kira smiled gratefully and briefly touched Sokka's arm before retreating up the stairs to her room. She was glad Sokka was her friend.

\/\/\/\/\/

And there you have it. Yet another chapter. This one was fun to write.


	6. Comfort

Chapter Six: Comfort

A week past since Sokka and Kira's adventure in the market, and not much changed. Although, Sokka and Kira had become fast friends, talking whenever they could without anyone catching them. Kira would make excuses for why she would specifically need Sokka for a chore that she needed done so they could spend more time together. They both enjoyed having someone to talk to; Whether they needed to talk about something that was troubling them, or if they were just lonely and needed a friend. However, in public, Kira and Sokka hid their friendship and acted as they were supposed to, always to laugh about it later on.

Sokka sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a rag that he carried with him. He looked around as he finished weeding the garden with the other servants. Now it was off to Sokka's favorite chore… Cleaning Kira's bedroom. It gave them a chance to talk during the day, while making it look like Sokka was still working. A small, lopsided grin made its way onto Sokka's face and he walked back towards the palace, leaving his weeding tools by the small shed.

It didn't take him long to get up the stairs and to Kira's room. He had been all over this palace so many times, he knew where everything was. He whistled a cheerful tune under his breath and turned the corner to go down Kira's hall. But something made him stop. The usual silence coming from Kira's room was now replaced with angry words. But.. Who was Kira fighting with? Sokka knew it wasn't right to eavesdrop, but something seemed wrong. He walked quietly over to the door and knelt down so that he was eye-level with the doorknob. He leaned forward and pressed his eye to the keyhole. The man Kira was arguing with was out of sight, but Sokka could see Kira.

"Yen is a perfect match for you, child. You'll do well to remember that!" Sokka knew that voice. It was Lord Ozai. But why was Kira arguing with her father? Did she tell him that she didn't want to marry Yen? Kira had told Sokka about the problems that she was having with Yen; She had even told him about the bruise on her arm and Yen slapping her, and Sokka urged her to reconsider.

"But, father, I do not love him! You don't know what he's said to me! What he's done to me! I will not marry him, and you cannot make me! Get Azula to marry your prized warrior." Kira crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. Sokka heard Ozai growl with fury and take a step towards Kira. But Kira stood defiantly.

"I know that Yen has worked very hard to try and impress you, and still you refuse him. I've seen the things he's bought for you. You're such an ungrateful princess." Ozai's hands glowed with fire for a moment.

"Father.. He hit me!" Kira yelled, a look of disbelief on her face. She couldn't believe her father thought of her as ungrateful.

"Good. He should teach you some respect." Ozai raised his hand and slapped Kira across the face, knocking her to the ground. Kira cried out softly in pain as she hit the floor, and Sokka had to do all he could to stop from running in there. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Lord Ozai reached down and roughly pulled Kira to her feet with a tight grip on the back of her neck.

"Father, please.. I'm sorry." Kira begged, only to get throw against a wall. Kira sobbed as her back hit the wall painfully hard.

"Don't make me regret giving you this honor, Kira." Lord Ozai said as he stroked her cheek. She remained still, her lower lip trembling. Sokka's eyes widened when he turned and started walking towards the door. He quickly scrambled behind one of the long hall curtains just in time to hear the door open, and then close a few moments later. He peaked out when he was sure the Fire Lord was gone, and saw that the hall was clear. He walked back over to the door and placed his ear to the wood. He could hear Kira sobbing softly, and his eyes saddened. He gently opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Kira.." He whispered, looking down at her. Once her father left, she had slid down the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. She looked up at him with watery eyes and then looked away. Sokka walked over to her and knelt down in front of her, putting a hand on her knee. She looked at him again and put a hand over her red, stinging cheek. Sokka opened his arms and she slowly leaned against his chest. He picked her up bridal-style and carried her over to the bed, laying her down. He then crawled onto the bed next to her.

"It's okay. I'm here." Sokka wound an arm carefully around her waist and pulled her into his chest. Kira's tears were silent now, but she buried her face into Sokka's shoulder and closed her eyes tightly. Sokka combed his fingers through her hair and he even felt her smile a little.

"Thank you, Sokka." Kira whispered, gripping the front of his shirt. Sokka smiled and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. Just rest." Sokka and Kira stayed like that for a long time. But Sokka didn't mind. He didn't understand how any father could do that to their child. But apparently the Fire Lord was an exception to that rule. After a while, Sokka felt Kira's grip loosen on his shirt, and her breathing slowed down. She had fallen asleep.

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Hi. Sorry for the shortness. I wrote this at like 2 in the morning.


	7. Tested Trust

I am soooo sorry that I took this long to update. Things at home have been so crazy, but since things are getting easier, I'll have more time to write. But on the bright side, this much time to update gave me time to think of some awesome new ideas for future chapters. I'd like to just thank you all for your reviews, and your support. So, without keeping you any longer, here's my update.

VVVVV

Chapter Seven: Tested Trust

It had been nearly a week since the incident with Kira and her father. Nothing much had changed, to say the least. Sokka had taken it upon himself to keep a closer eye on Kira during his daily chores. She would often notice him watching her. And in gratitude, she would smile and nod her head a little to let him know that she was doing okay. This, however, didn't keep him satisfied as time got closer to the day Kira was to be married. It was already less than a month away.

Kira walked down the hall with her satin robes pulled tightly around her shivering body. It was a little past sundown, so it was beginning to get cold out. And the fact that almost every window in the palace was open didn't help at all. She hummed a small, wistful tune as she wandered down the empty corridors, not quite sure what to do to pass the time. It was nearly another hour before Sokka was supposed to meet her once he finished his chores, but Kira was too restless to sit in her room.

She sighed absently and pulled the jeweled pin from her hair, letting it fall freely around her shoulders and down her back. There was a sudden noise at the other end of the hallway and Kira jumped slightly, turning around. There was a dark silhouette at the end of the hallway where the noise came from, but it was too dark for Kira to make out. She squinted against the darkness and took a few cautious steps closer.

"Hello?" She called softly, her voice unsteady. Maybe it was Sokka, done early. It must be. A small smile crossed Kira's lips at the thought and took a step closer. She spoke a little more confidently. "You can stop playing around now. I know it's you."

"Oh, but I think you were expecting someone much different." Her sister's icy voice rang out and Kira stiffened as Azula started to walk towards her. As she stepped into the light, Kira saw a twisted smirk playing across Azula's face and knew immediately her sister was up to something.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was cool, but she was sure Azula knew something. Kira kept her posture as Azula began to slowly circle her with her arms cross over her chest.

"I think you know exactly what I mean, sister. There's something going on between you and the new prisoner. The Avatar's friend." Azula stopped walking when she came in front of Kira and looked down at her. Kira bit at the corner of her lip nervously, avoiding eye contact with Azula. She regained her composer and looked up.

"Well, then you're mistaken. He's nothing more than a prisoner." Kira tried her hardest to keep her voice from shaking. She laughed a little, as if she found it funny, then continued. "I assure you, there is nothing going on."

"I'm not blind, Kira." Azula's voice was sharp and fierce. Kira just rolled her eyes and walked past Azula, wanting to continue her walk. Azula's eyes followed Kira and she smirked. "He'll never truly care about you." Kira stopped walking, and closed her eyes slowly.

"What?" Her voice now shook freely, and she didn't turn around. Azula walked up behind her and combed her fingers through Kira's hair.

"Dear sister, were you actually silly enough to think he actually wanted to be close to you. You're a tool to him. Just a pretty tool that he'll end up killing to escape." Azula spoke softly, smirking as she played with Kira's hair. Kira's breath hitched and she shook her head a little.

"It's not true." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"But it is. He's using you, tricking you to get close to him so it'll be easier to kill you. Why else would he want to get close to a filthy little disgrace like you?" Upon hearing these words, Kira knew instantly it was a trick. Azula always tried to make her feel like people were using her. She smirked for a moment, then frowned as she turned to her sister.

"You're right. I… I don't know what I was thinking." She made her voice shake. Azula smiled and brushed Kira's hair behind her shoulders.

"It's alright, Kira. That's why you have me. I told Father about the prisoner. Don't worry, I didn't mention your little attraction to him. He said he's have the prisoner executed. He believes that as long as the Avatar still thinks his friend is alive, he'll come. It doesn't really matter if he is alive or not." Azula said, brushing her own hair out of her face. Kira was shocked at this news and bit her lip to keep her act up.

"Thank you, Azula." Kira leaned over and hugged her sister. Azula hugged her back, then pulled away.

"You should get back to your room." Azula said, looking at her nails. Kira nodded and turned around to walk away. She hurried down the hall, not looking behind her. When she turned the corner, she pulled the hood over her head to ensure she would've be seen. Hurriedly, she headed to the wash room where she knew Sokka would be. When she entered, there were a few more servants in the wash room than she though there would be. When Sokka saw her, he knew at once something was wrong by the expression on her face.

"Your assistance is needed in my room. Something broke and I need it cleaned immediately." Kira told Sokka as the other servants bowed to her. Sokka finished wringing out the robe he had been working on cleaning and stood up, wiping his hands on the rag that hung from his shoulder. He followed her out into the hallway and as soon as the washroom door, he gently grabbed her wrist.

"What is it? Did your father-" Sokka was cut of by Kira's finger on his lips. He looked at her on concern, but she just shook her head.

"Not here. Let's go to my room." Kira held her head high and continued walking to her room. Sokka wanted to know what was wrong, but knew it was better to wait until they were in her room. When they finally reached her door, she looked around cautiously, then slipped inside. Once the door was closed, she leaned against the door while Sokka stood in front of her.

"Now will you tell me?" Sokka asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Kira looked up at him.

"We have to leave. Tonight."

"What? Why?" Sokka looked confused for a moment, then his eyes flashed angrily. "Did someone hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about." Kira reached out and slipped her hand into Sokka's and he looked confused again.

"Me? What? Kira, you're not making any sense." Sokka gently pulled Kira over to the bed and sat down, pulling her down next to him. "Now, talk to me."

"Azula tried to convince me that you were just making me believe you cared about me so you could kill me and escape. I knew that you would never do that, but I had to play along. She told my father that you planned to kill me and he's having you executed." Kira explained. Sokka looked shocked for a moment, then his eyebrows furrowed together, focusing on one spot on the floor.

"So, what's the plan?" His voice lifted when he turned his head to look at Kira as she got up and paced the floor in front of her bed.

"I don't know." Kira muttered after a minute or two of pacing. She would stop every so often, glance at Sokka, then shake her head and continue her steady, but panicked pacing. Sokka stood, a soft sigh escaping his pursed lips, and stepped in front of the small vertical path Kira had created in front of her bed. When she found that he was now blocking her path, she stopped, bowing her head in resignation. "I'm sorry, I'm just scared."

"I know." He said slowly, almost smiling to himself. "But we'll figure this out, Kira. You just have to know that I'm going to be okay."

Kira sighed and leaned her head slightly against Sokka's chest in thought. He reached up and wound and arm around her shoulder, not knowing if this would particularly calm the panicking princess, but it sure made him feel a whole lot better. She relaxed at his touch and tilted her head up towards him, biting her lip nervously. "There are only a few Firenation guards that patrol during the night. We can't make it look like you kidnapped me, or they'll come after me."

"So, what's the plan?" Sokka's grip tightened a little bit, and he found that his other hand had ended up resting on Kira's hip. He looked down at her and his eyes almost saddened when he saw how frightened she was. "If I can contact Aang and my sister, I can guarantee they'll tell us where they are so we can find them."

"Then you can use my messenger hawk to write them. I just need to gather a few things. Write to them and I'll send it. Then you're going to finish your daily chores as if nothing is wrong. Don't speak to anyone about anything. Especially Azula or my father. Meet me back here at half past one and we'll escape while everyone is asleep." Kira explained slowly, as if she was testing her own words as she said them. She was surprised at herself for coming up with a plan this quickly. She briefly wondered if she had picked it up from Azula. When she broke from her thoughts, she looked at Sokka, who was smirking down at her. She looked confused. "Sokka, what?"

"Have I ever told you how truly brilliant you are?" He muttered, shaking his head in amusement.

"No." Kira laughed and put a smirk on his face that matched his own. "But I could stand to hear it every now and again."

"Such a Firenation princess." Sokka rolled his eyes, the smirk never leaving his lips as he walked towards her desk. Without another work, he quickly scribbled down an explanation as to wear he's been, that he's okay, and that he's coming to meet them. He mentioned meeting them at the Great Wall of Ba Sing Se in seven days' time at sundown. That should give him and Kira enough time to reach Ba Sing Se without any problems. He finished the letter and rolled it up, tying a ribbon around it. He turned and walked back over to Kira, handing it to her. Without a word, she nodded and leaned over, sliding her arms around his waist. Sokka smiled and briefly put his hand on the back of her head, as a small act of reassurance. And all too quickly, he pulled away and walked towards the door. "In a few hours, we'll be gone from this place forever. I'll see you soon, princess."

A small smile spread across Kira's lips as she watched him slip from the door and disappear from view. She turned on her heal, attaching the message to her hawk's leg, and watching it fly out the window. As she closed the window, and began to gather her belongings, a few simple words passed through her lips, aimed at no one in particular. "I'll see you soon."


	8. The Escape

Chapter Eight: The Escape

It seemed like so long since Kira had last spoken to Sokka about their plan to escape. Kira had managed to keep herself busy by running small errands around the castle, gathering her things, and perfecting the escape plan in her head, but all of this did nothing to cease the worried thoughts that entered her head. What if Sokka had been caught? She quickly shook her head and sighed softly. Worrying would help nothing at this point. And Sokka was strong and careful. He would be alright until he returned to her room. She glanced at the clock once again and smiled to herself a little. Only five more minutes until Sokka was supposed to meet her. And all too suddenly, her heart began to race. This was really going to be happening.

Her thoughts were interrupted by an almost unnoticeable knocking. Sokka. She walked over the door and opened it cautiously, smiling wider when her gold eyes were met by the familiar ocean blue ones. She opened the door wide enough so that he could step inside, and then closed it carefully when he was in.

"I was worried." The words left her mouth before she could stop herself. Sokka's reaction, however, was all the reassurance she need. He reached over and pulled her gently by the waste into a warm embrace. She smiled and responded to the embrace by putting her head on his chest and closing her eyes.

"I was worried too." He pulled away slowly and glanced around her room. On her bed, there was a bag laying next to a Fire Nation army uniform. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. When she looked confused, he inclined his head towards her bed.

"Oh. Right, well, while you were finishing your work, I was doing my own work as well. I managed to steal this from the wash room." Kira walked over to her bed and absently ran her fingers over the helmet that was sitting neatly next to the uniform. "It will ensure that we get out of the palace without any trouble."

"Okay, so I'm basically going to put this on and act like I'm escorting you somewhere?" Sokka furrowed his eyebrows in thought and walked over to Kira, gesturing for the helmet. She picked it up and handed it to him, then sat on the edge of her bed, still looking up at him.

"Exactly. There's a small chance that anyone will be up at this hour, but just in case we run into a guard, it will be easier to explain why a fellow guard is escorting me, rather than a servant."

"That makes sense. Do we have a way to get to Ba Sing Sei?" Sokka asked as he examined the helmet. Kira stood up and a hint of a smirk came to her lips.

"How do you feel about flying?" She asked, taking the helmet from him. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Aang, Katara, and I travel on Appa. Why?"

"Because we're going to steal an war balloon. By the time they even notice we're gone, it'll be too late to track the balloon. And I've packed us seven days worth of food and water." Kira set the helmet down on her bed and walked away from him. "Now, put on the uniform. I only have a few more things to pack."

"Yes, Your Highness." Sokka smirked and rolled his eyes, but did as she said and began to put on the uniform while she put a few scattered items into the bag she had picked up. It was fairly simple to put on, he found. And it hit him pretty well. When he was all dressed, he walked over to the full length mirror next to Kira's vanity table and examined himself. He smiled when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Kira's familiar smirk.

"Not too bad. You could almost pass as royalty." She challenged, crossing her arms over her chest. Kira had changed as well. Once a simple tank top and shorts was now an simple, but classy black dress that fit tightly around the torso and then flowed loosely around her waist and legs. Sokka smiled, almost cheekily and looked her up and down.

"I could say the same for you." His smile turned into a smirk as she glared at him and pulled her cape around her shoulders. At her reaction, he only smirked more. "What? Did I offend your delicate ego?"

"Do you always have to try and out-do me?" Despite her serious look, her voice held a tone of amusement. His face turned serious and he lowered his head in a respectful bow.

"Of course not, Your Grace. I live to serve you." They looked at each other for a moment, then started laughing at their act. Sokka stopped laughing and looked at the clock. "We should probably get going. Do you have everything?"

"Yes. Everything's ready." Kira gathered the bag she had put her things in and held it under her cape. She nodded to Sokka and followed him as he walked into the hallway. He put the helmet over his head and held out his arm for Kira. She took it and smiled as she leaned against him. They walked down the hallway and Kira felt uneasy. Sokka sensed this and squeezed her arm comfortingly. "Relax. We'll be fine. I'll keep you safe."

"I trust you." Kira whispered, more to herself. But Sokka heard the small comment and couldn't help but smile to himself. He didn't know why that made him feel so good, but it did. He cleaned his throat and looked ahead, but still held onto her arm tightly. They turned the corner and Kira gasped softly when she saw Yen walking with another guard. Sokka growled when he saw them, but otherwise stayed calm. Yen looked away from the guard he was with and smiled when he saw Kira. He said what Kira thought to be a dismissal to the guard, who bowed and turned in the other direction.

"Hello, darling." Yen said after he came to a stop in front of Kira. He turned to Sokka and bowed slightly in acknowledgement. Sokka returned a respectful bow, as much as he hated it. Yen turned back to Kira and took her hand, holding it to his lips for a moment, then lowering her hand. "What are you doing out of bed at this time?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to venture around the castle for a walk. During my wandering, I became frightened and this kind guard offered to accompany me." Kira said, inwardly impressed with her story. Yen looked convinced but he pulled her forward, forcing her to release Sokka's arm. He placed an arm around her waist and looked over her shoulder at Sokka.

"I appreciate you looking after her, but I think I can take it from here." Yen said, only glancing at Sokka briefly before leaning in to kiss Kira. She reluctantly kissed back and closed her eyes, quickly thinking of an excuse to get away from her. She pulled away and gently touched his face.

"Sweetheart, I was just heading back to my room, and I think I'll be okay to get there now. You should be getting to bed anyway. Tomorrow is your when Father is taking you to get your marriage robes." Kira leaned forward and kissed him again. She had to make this believable. Yen looked at her cautiously, looking from her to Sokka. For a moment, Sokka thought they were going to be caught, but sighed in relief when Yen nodded.

"You'll take care of her." Yen looked at Sokka as he said this. It was more of a command than a question. Sokka regained his composure and bowed.

"With my life." Sokka said, looking at Kira. She smiled a little, but leaned over and kissed Yen again.

"Until we meet again." She gestured to Sokka to follow her as she walked away before he could answer. Sokka followed silently until Kira stopped when she was sure they were far enough away. She leaned against the wall and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, closing her eyes. Sokka was silent. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Sokka answered shortly, shaking her head and looking away. Kira frowned and stepped in front of him. He looked away from her again.

"Hey, look at me." Kira's voice was soft, almost asking him to look at her. He slowly looked at her and his face almost emotionless. At this, she repeated her first question. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Sokka paused with a sigh and his face softened a little. "I didn't like seeing him kiss you. He hurt you. He shouldn't be allowed to kiss you like that."

"That will be the last time, I can promise you that." Kira smiled and leaned into his chest a little. He smiled as well and placed his hand on the small of her back. After a moment, Kira pulled away and straightened her hood. "But there is one last thing that I need to do."

"What is it?" Sokka said as he began to walk again. Kira followed and kept her eyes on the floor.

"I need to give something back." Kira reached up and gently touched her engagement necklace. Sokka smiled sadly and touched her shoulder.

"Do you want me to wait outside for you?" He asked softly. He knew this would be hard for her. As much as he didn't like it, this was her home, and this was her family. He understood it couldn't have been easy for her. Kira nodded and came to the door of the throne room. She looked at Sokka, silently telling him to stay there, and walked in slowly. She walked over to her throne and sat down slowly, thinking for a few moments. She really would miss this place. So many memories. Some good, some bad. Some even in between. A sad smile came to Kira's lips as she reached into her bag, taking out a letter that she had already written to her father.

"I can't stay." She whispered to no one in particular, almost trying to convince herself. She briefly glanced over the letter, reading it slowly. "Father, part of me will always love you, but I can no longer ignore the feeling that you no longer love me in the way I need to be loved. Please don't look for me. My mind is made up. I regret that things had to happen like this, but I do not regret my choice in leaving. I love you, and I hope that we can some day be reunited. Your daughter, Kira."

She placed the letter down on his thrown and smiled a little. She reached up and carefully untied the necklace, setting it down next to the note. She reached up again, into her hood, and removed the gold ringlet from her head. She placed it on top of the note and closed her eyes for a moment. Once she opened them again, she picked up her bag and walked out of the room for the last time. Sokka was leaned against the wall. When she came out, he didn't say anything as he pulled her into a hug. She willingly leaned into the hug and closed her eyes tightly. She couldn't seem to get herself to cry. As much as she felt she needed to, the tears wouldn't come.

"Come on, Kira." Sokka said after a minute. He didn't want to rush her, but they needed to give themselves enough time to make it out of the Fire Nation. Kira nodded silently and allowed Sokka to lead her out of the palace for the last time. She looked over her shoulder as they made it to where the war balloons were kept and smiled at Sokka.

"I hope you know how to fly one of these." She offered as he helped her climb into the basket. She set down her bag and helped him climb in. Sokka smirked and started the balloon with ease. "I may have underestimated you, Sokka."

"You usually do." Sokka said as the balloon rose into the air. He navigated it over the city as Kira watched over the edge, a hint of a smile on her face. Sokka saw this and grinned. "You have a new family now."

"I know. But I have to get this one to like me. I can't imagine they'll welcome the Fire Princess with open arms." Kira laughed and turned towards Sokka. He laughed as well and steered the balloon.

"They'll like you just as much as I do." He leaned over and put an arm around her shoulders while he steered with the other.

"I hope so." Kira muttered as she leaned against Sokka. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly. This wasn't going to be as bad as she thought. All her doubts seemed to disappear and she opened her eyes just in time to see the palace disappear behind the wall that surrounded it. She looked forward over the ocean and smiled. "Now, let's get to Ba Sing Sei."


End file.
